Colombian authorities say they have taken down one of the Caribbean coast’s most wanted criminal figures. According to preliminary reports, Naín Andrés Pérez Toncel—better known by his alias ‘Bendito Menor’—was killed early Friday, September 4, during a security forces operation in Riohacha, the capital of La Guajira department in northern Colombia.
Pérez Toncel led the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra, a criminal group blamed for a wave of killings and extortion schemes that terrorized communities along Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Officials say his partner, identified only by the alias ‘La Bebecita,’ also died in the same raid.
Sources close to the operation indicate that security forces had spent recent weeks tightening a coordinated pursuit of the gang leader, who had become a top priority target for military and police units operating in the region. Colombia’s president is reported to have commented publicly on the outcome of the operation, though further details on his remarks have not yet been confirmed.
Authorities have cautioned that the information remains preliminary as investigators work to confirm the circumstances surrounding the deaths and verify the identities of those killed. Officials have not yet released a full account of how the operation unfolded or whether other suspects were captured or killed.
For the complete story and ongoing updates, read the original report at El Tiempo.
Source: Alias 'Bendito Menor' y su pareja 'La Bebecita' habrían sido abatidos en La Guajira tras un operativo (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: Major Anthony Mayne.